The only York Revolution player to win the Atlantic League Player of the Year award has ended his playing career.

Center fielder Scott Grimes, 29, announced his retirement as a player after eight professional seasons to accept an assistant coaching position at Division I LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

The York Revolution made the announcement Friday afternoon.

Grimes caps his time in York, leaving the Revolution as the franchise's all-time leader in games played (357), runs scored (298), at-bats (1,350), hits (374), extra-base hits (128), triples (13), total bases (605), stolen bases (69), and walks (205). He ranks second all-time in home runs (45), third in doubles (70), and fifth in RBI (155).

His 2010 season is arguably the best season any player in the Atlantic League has compiled, leading all of professional baseball with 138 runs scored in just 132 games. He also hit 17 homers and posted a .429 on-base percentage. He accomplished all that while playing a near-flawless center field. He was named co-Player of Year in the league, and he became York's first player named to Baseball America's All-Independent Team.

Inexplicably, a major league organization didn't sign Grimes in the 2010 offseason. An undrafted player from small Keystone College (Laplume, Pa.), Grimes finished his professional with three straight postseason appearances with York.

“This is one of the biggest decisions of my life, to leave the game I've played since I was 5 years old,” Grimes said in a press release. “I've wanted to get into the coaching world, but it's still one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I came to terms with it a little while ago but needed another little push, and to be able to go back to school and pursue my masters at a prestigious school like LaSalle was another factor, and I want to take advantage of that.”

Grimes helped lead the Revs to Atlantic League championships in 2010 and 2011, leading the league in runs scored both years.

“I remember when I called him to play for us in 2010,” Revolution manager Mark Mason said. “He said, ‘I don't care about the money, I just want to prove to everyone that I can play.' Since then, he was the best player in the league and league MVP in 2010, and he's been the best center fielder in the league since he's been here. I will miss him but I'm very happy for him.”

Grimes struggled at the plate the last two seasons, batting .241 last season and moved to the No. 9 spot in the order. His defense, however, never showed signs of falling off.

“I would have loved to play for (Mason), I love him to death,” Grimes said. “But it's time to write the next chapter in my life. It was harder to come to terms with actually telling ‘Mase' that this was going to be it. You never think you're going to get to that point when you're playing. But I'm still young enough to learn the ropes of coaching and formulate that career.”

He leaves York as one of the best to have ever play for the Revs.

"I'll always remember the night that he hit for the cycle on his birthday, helping us to clinch a playoff berth, along with many of his diving catches and throws to the plate that saved games defensively and were SportsCenter ‘Top 10' worthy," Revs president/general manager Eric Menzer said.

Notes: The Revs also announced 2012 leadoff man Brandon Haveman plans to retire from playing. ... Grimes joins former teammate Chuck Jeroloman (TCU) as members of the Revs' first championship team that have since moved on to coaching careers at the NCAA level. ... The only player that finished the 2010, 2011 and 2012 playoffs with the Revs that remains with the club is Corey Thurman.